Power 50 - #23: Paul Dainty

It’s been a triumphant few years for Paul Dainty. Following the purchase of his touring company to become a part of the TEG group (owned by Ticketek) back in 2016, Dainty has continued to be a leader among Australian promoters.

After 40 successful years in the business, Dainty has been at the helm of some of Australia’s biggest international music, comedy and theatre tours, and that streak has continued, landing two titanic acts for 2017 that we hadn’t seen for the good part of two decades: Jerry Seinfeld and Guns N’ Roses.

While Seinfeld has remained active as a stand-up, the thought of long distance travel has kept him away from our shores, a factor that saw demand here rise to boiling point when the tour was announced. Over 140,000 people purchased tickets and countless more missed out. At the time Dainty joked to the Sydney Morning Herald, “I think we spent 50 cents on advertising” and that the FOMO around the country was a large- scale issue, stating that people were offering “anything and everything” for tickets.

Aptly titled the Not In This Lifetime, Guns ‘N Roses’ run for Dainty, booking out the nation’s biggest venues in Australia and New Zealand (including back to back nights at Sydney ANZ Stadium), was remarkably issue-free given their past reputation and became the #1 parent and child “this is what rock’n’roll is, kid” outing for 2017.

Dainty also returned Yusuf/Cat Stevens to audiences in Australia and New Zealand in partnership with Live Nation, and added a successful South African leg to the tour. On that note, Dainty’s in uence continues spread further a eld, with 2017 seeing the promoter honoured as a Member In the General Division Of The Order Of Australia for “signi cant service to the entertainment industry as a producer and promoter of national concert tours, theatre and events” as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Dainty’s 2018 calendar is already set to fill up quickly, with plans in place for tours with Katy Perry, Queen, Jersey Boys and Lionel Ritchie underway.